Fluorinated carbon polymer composites

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are structures comprising a composite of fluorinated particulate carbon dispersed in a polymer, the fluorinated carbon being present in an amount sufficient to reduce the dielectric constant of the composition, the structure also including electrical conductor patterns. The composite can be made conductive by irradiating it with an UV excimer laser.

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.07/759,377, filed Sep. 13, 1991, and is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 07/759,380, filed Sep. 13, 1991.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field of the invention is a process for making newpolymeric composite materials containing fluorinated carbonreinforcements or fillers. The technical field of the invention alsorelates to a process for significantly changing the electrical andthermal properties of the polymer composite materials. The dielectricconstant of the polymer composite materials can be lowered for use inelectronic packaging applications or raised for use in thin filmcapacitors. Furthermore, the technical field of the invention relates toa method for reducing the thermal coefficient of expansion (hereafter"TCE") of the polymer material so that the materials can be coated ontosubstrates having lower TCE's than the unmodified polymers. Thetechnical field of the invention also relates to a process for providinga conductive polymer composite material and especially for makingselective areas of the surface conductive. Products obtained by theprocess are also described.

The process and the products, of the invention are useful in themanufacture of electronic components and electronic circuits such asintegrated circuits, printed circuits and circuit boards.

The present invention relates to dielectric materials and moreparticularly to an improved dielectric composition, suitable for use inhigh performance electronic device packaging and printed circuit boards,and to methods for fabricating the improved dielectric.

PRIOR ART

Currently there are many uses for dielectric materials having a lowdielectric constant, particularly printed circuit and packagingapplications for electronic devices and computers. Widely used substratematerials for this purpose consist of fluoropolymer-glass compositessuch as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,284 to D. J. Arthur et al. Asnoted in that patent, the desirable features for a dielectric materialin such applications are that it should hav a low dielectric constant,low electrical loss, low thermal expansion, and be chemically inert.Another important feature of such dielectric materials is the ability toform dielectric films which are uniform, nonporous, and possess highthermal stability. Further important qualities, not mentioned in thepatent, are the susceptability to direct photoimaging of the compositematerial with a UV laser and laser ablation of a substrate of thematerial, both of which facilitate the making of very small via holes inthe manufacturing of printed circuit boards.

Graphite or a substantially pure form of carbon having a graphiticlaminar structure will form a series of compounds in which the graphitestructure is retained and which are known in the art as graphitecompounds. There are basically two types of these graphite compoundswhich are referred to as crystal compounds and covalent compounds.

The crystal compounds of graphite can be converted back to the graphitestructure because the structure has not been altered to any greatextent. These crystal compounds are usually dark colored and aredescribed as lamellar compounds, interstitial compounds or intercalationcompounds in that the reactants combine with the graphite in the regionbetween the layers of carbon atoms that are typical in the graphitestructure. It has been theorized that the intercalation reactionproceeds because the carbon atoms in the layers are more strongly bondedto one another with 7eaker bonds between the layers.

Intercalation can occur between each inter layer, alternate interlayers,every third interlayer and the like and typically can be based on alkalimetal reactions with graphitic carbon or the reaction of various acidssuch as red fuming nitric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid and brominevapor. The latter forms an intercalate C₈ Br[12079-58-2] which is anelectron acceptor in which the electrical resistance decreases, but theHall coefficient changes from negative to positive. G. R. A. Henning,"Properties of Graphite Compounds," Proceedings of the Second Conferenceon Carbon, University of Buffalo, N.Y. 1956.

Unlike bromine intercalate compounds, fluorine forms covalent compoundswith carbon. When fluorine reacts with amorphous forms of carbon such aswood charcoal it forms carbon tetrafluoride and other fluorocarbons. Onthe other hand the reaction of fluorine with high-purity carbon orgraphite results in the production of polycarbon monofluoride having theformula (CF_(x))_(n) where x varies from about 0.07 to about 1.3. Ruffet al., Z. Anorg. Chem., 217,1(1934); Lagow et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,674,432; Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology ThirdEdition, V.10, p.637.

Chung, U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,892, describes the combination of a thermosetpolyimide ("Skybond 700 TN," Monsanto Corp.) in combination withgraphite flakes intercalated with bromine. Upon heat-curing the mixture,the intercalated graphite flakes are exfoliated, which is a suddenincrease in the dimension of the flakes perpendicular to the carbonlayers of the intercalated graphite thereby forming vermicular orwormlike shapes. The composite thus obtained may optionally be heated tocarbonize the mixture which results in a composite with a resistivitylower than that of the original composite. A reduction of resistivity ashigh as a factor of six can be obtained.

Vogel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,142, describes a highly conductivecomposite of an organic polymer in combination with an intercalationcompound of graphite. The intercalation compound is formed by reactinggraphite with a Bronsted acid such as hydrogen fluoride and a metalhalide such as PF₅, AsF₅ or SbF₅. The patentee notes that the compositehas the mechanical properties of the organic polymer and that theelectrical conductivity is increased by a factor of about 100. It isalso noted that the conductivity of the composite can be significantlyimproved by the use of "p" type dopants such as SbF₅, AsF₅, bromine andiodine.

Homsy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,532, describes a composition for in vivoimplantation consisting of perfluorinated high polymer in combinationwith a filler element such as fluorinated carbon particles.

Lyons et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,091 describes a process forcarbonizing a polymeric material followed by electroplating a metal onthe carbonized surface.

Japanese Patent Application Kokai JP 60 115 622 (Chem. Abs., Vol. 103,1985 161556w) is directed to an epoxy composition containing fluorinatedcarbon having excellent insulating properties and useful in sealingelectronic parts. In the preferred embodiment, a cresol novolak epoxyresin is mixed with a fluorinated carbon material, a hardener, silica,wax, carbon black and a silane coupling agent followed by kneading, andcooling. The cool mixture is pulverized and employed as a molding powderwhich can be molded at 180° C. for about three minutes followed bypost-curing at this temperature for eight hours.

NASA Case No. LEW-14472-1 which comprises subject matter available forlicensing in accordance with 14 C.F.R. §1245.2 describes improvedgraphite fluoride fibers produced by a contact reaction between highlygraphitized fibers and fluorine gas. The fibers are preferablyintercalated with bromine or fluorine and methyl fluoride prior tofluorination. The graphite fluoride fibers are bound by an epoxy oralternatively polytetrafluoroethylene or a polyimide resin. Theresulting composites have high thermal conductivity, high electricresistivity and high emissivity. The invention is further described inHung, U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 251,499, filed Sep. 30, 1988, nowU.S. Pat. No. 4,.957,661.

The use of polyimides in electronic packaging technology is widelyknown, the polyimide employed in this respect generally comprising thereaction product of pyromellitic dianhydride (hereafter "PMDA") and4,4'-oxydiphenylenediamine (hereafter "ODA"). This polymer has most ofthe desired characteristics which are needed in packaging, namely veryhigh temperature resistance (above 400° C.) and a low dielectricconstant (ca 3.0-3.5) as well as good mechanical strength. Althoughadhesion to metals used in printed circuit boards and high-end packaging(such as copper, gold and the like) is poor it can be improved either bysurface treatment of the polyimide film such as for example by plasmaetching, and/or by introducing an adhesion promoting intermediate layerof chromium. Another factor which limits the use of this polyimide,especially in high wiring density packaging, is the thermal expansionmismatch of the polymer with metals (usually copper), semiconductormaterials (such as silicon), and packaging materials such as glass orceramic materials due to the relatively high TCE. The TCE of polyimidederived from PMDA-ODA is so high (450×10-7/° C.), that during thefabrication process of thin film packages where a thick polyimide filmis bonded to silicon, glass ceramic or even alumina substrates eitherthe substrate warps to an unacceptable level or the polyimide peels offor cracks.

The speed of electrical signals propagated along metal lines imbedded ina polymeric dielectric such as polyimide, fluoropolymer, or epoxy resin,is determined substantially by the dielectric constant of the polymericmaterial. Reducing the dielectric constant results in an increase inspeed of such signals and a decrease in delay time between operation ofdevices connected by such metal lines.

It is at times advantageous to have an insulating material with highdielectric constant for use as dielectric material in capacitors. Moreenergy can be stored if dielectric constant is larger.

When employing polyimides in electronic packaging or in the manufactureof circuit boards and especially printed circuit boards, it is alsodesirable to readily form conductive regions or lines forinterconnecting circuit elements. Where several circuit boards arestacked and laminated to one another they are generally connected bythrough holes which are plated by a process known as through holeplating or PTH processes which are well known in the art. Where thecircuit boards comprise composites of polyimides and fiber reenforcingmaterials (e.g. glass fibers) the polyimide surface has to be chemicallytreated or "roughened" prior to forming the conductive regions or lines.These conductive regions or lines are generally formed by an electrolesscoating process comprising the application of a zero-valent palladiumcatalyst in combination with a protective tin colloid which adheres tothe treated polyimide surface after which an electroless metal coatingsolution comprising a metal salt in combination with an aldehydereducing agent is applied. The colloidal palladium activates thealdehyde reducing agent and thereby converts the dissolved metal salt,such as copper sulfate, to solid copper metal. These electrolesscoatings are further built up by subsequent electrolytic metal coatings,again all of these processes being well known in the art.

The difficulties with the electroless coating of polymeric surfaces suchas polyimide surfaces is not only the surface preparation required butalso the multiple cleaning and rinsing steps involved in the applicationof the electroless coating as well as the subsequent processing stepsrequired for building the electrolytic coating.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome theseand other difficulties encountered in the prior art.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide adielectric material offering an optimal combination of low dielectricconstant, low thermal coefficient of expansion and low porosity. Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a dielectric material which canundergo UV laser ablation under very low fluences (as low as 1 J/cm²) soas to result in openings or vias with very smooth and nearly verticalside walls after the laser drilling thereof. Still another object ofthis invention is to provide a dielectric material which after exposureto very low UV laser dosage becomes partially conductive and thus can beused in the repair of opens in electrical circuit lines of a printedwiring board or high density packaging.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a process for effectinga change of the physical properties of a polyimide material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process forreducing the TCE and dielectric constant of polymeric materials, e.g.polyimide, fluoropolymer, epoxy, polymerized bismaleimides, polymerizedbenzocyclobutenes, polycyanurates, polysiloxanes, polybenzimidazoles,polybenzoxazoles, polyphenylquinoxalines, and blends thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a process forreducing the dielectric constant of a polymeric material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a process forincreasing the dielectric constant of a polymer composite material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process forforming an electrically conductive polymeric composite material from anon-conductive polymeric composite material.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a process for formingat least one conductive region in a polymeric composite materialadjacent to a non-conductive region in such polymeric compositematerial.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process forelectrolytically forming a metal coating on a polymeric compositematerial where the polymeric composite material has not been coated withan electroless metal coating.

It is the further object of the invention to provide novel productsproduced by the aforesaid processes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects have been achieved according to the presentinvention which is a structure comprising a substrate formed from adielectric material comprising:

a composite of a fluorinated carbon material dispersed in a materialhaving a dielectric constant;

said fluorinated carbon material being present in an amount sufficientfor said composite to have a dielectric constant less than saiddielectric constant of said material;

said substrate including electrical conductor patterns.

The material having a dielectric constant is preferably a polymericmaterial, such as polyimide, fluoropolymer, or epoxy or other thermosetand thermoplastic polymeric materials. Such structures are suited forelectrical interconnection with one or more electronic devices such ascapacitors, resistors, switches and the like.

Another aspect of the present invention is compositions of mattercomprising a fluorinated particulate carbon material dispersed in apolymer material, the fluorinated carbon material being present in anamount sufficient to substantially reduce the TCE of the polymer and inan amount also sufficient to substantially change the dielectricconstant of the composition.

In one embodiment of the present invention a structure comprises apolyimide composite made by dispersing from about 2% to about 50% byweight of a fluorinated carbon which is made by the direct fluorinationof carbon powder with fluorine, and containing fluorine in an amount upto about 75 atomic weight percent fluorine in a solution of a polyimideprecursor e.g. a polyamic acid in NMP (N-methylpyrrolidone) solvent.Coupling agents such as organo silicons or organo titanates can beemployed to enhance the dispersion of the fluorinated carbon in thepolyimide solution. The mixture is coated onto a substrate by spincoating or doctor blade, the substrate comprising a silicon wafer, ametal film such as a copper film or ceramic packaging module. The filmis dried and cured at a high temperature to obtain a fully imidizedpolyimide-fluorinated carbon composite.

A composite may also be made from a soluble and fully imidized polyimidesuch as Polyimide XU 218™ Ciba Geigy Co. or soluble polyetherimides.

Polyimide XU 218 is a polyimide based on diaminophenylindane (DAPI) andbenzophenone in dianhydride (BTDA) and is further described Polyimidesedited by Feger et al. Elsevier (1989) p. 497 et seq. and Bateman et al.U.S. Pat. 3,856,752 both of which are incorporated herein by referenceincluding the references cited therein.

Where soluble polyimides are employed the fluorinated carbon can bedispersed in a solution of such polyimide or polyetherimide in a solventand then coated on to a substrate and dried at temperatures above theboiling point of the solvents. No high temperature curing of this filmis necessary.

The polyimide-fluorinated carbon composites have a micro-roughness whichincreases their adhesion to metals by increasing the mechanicalinterlocking of the metals to the composite surface. Because the surfaceof the composite is rich in fluorine, the composites will have a highercontact angle with water which helps to prevent or reduce the undercutting of metal lines in high humidity or upon immersion in aqueoussolutions employed in subsequent processing steps.

When the foregoing polyimide composite is coated onto a siliconsubstrate and cured, it can be subsequently irradiated with a UV excimerlaser, the electrical resistivity of the exposed area decreases from10¹⁵ to 10¹ -10⁴ ohm/cm. The exposed area can be electroplated withcopper which will produce copper plating on the exposed area to formelectrical conductor patterns, thereby eliminating many of theprocessing steps in coating polyimides with an electroless metalfollowed by applying an electrolytic metal coating. It will berecognized that electronic devices such as resistors, capacitors,integrated circuits, and the like can be electronically interconnectedwith such patterns.

In another embodiment of the present invention a structure comprises acomposite dielectric material comprised of a fluoropolymer, such aspolytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), and fluorinated carbon (FC), e.g., in theform of fluorinated carbon powder, fluorinated graphite or fluorinatedcoke. This material, like that in which the polymeric material ispolyimide or epoxy, is suitable for various uses, among them being thefabricating of printed circuit boards on which electrical conductorpatterns are formed in accordance with the procedures described hereinand other techniques known in the art. In this regard this material hasadvantages over other dielectric materials for that purpose in that ithas a low dielectric constant, very low porosity, good adhesion tometal, and is easier to ablate with an excimer laser than such previousmaterials.

In another embodiment of this invention, a structure comprises acomposite dielectric material comprised of an elastomeric polysiloxaneand fluorinated carbon particles at a loading of 2 to 60% by weight.This structure provides a lower dielectric constant than the unfilledelastomeric materials while retaining substantial elongation withincreased modulus. This composite material can be used as a dielectriclayer and interconnect structure in high density electronic packagingapplications. As an example, a vinyl terminatedpoly(dimethyldiphenylsiloxane) is filled from about 2 to 60% by weightwith fluorinated carbon particles and cured by hydrosilation. Forexample, a composite comprised of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and 20% byweight fluorinated carbon particles has about a 150% elongation at breakand has a high tensile strength and modulus.

In fabricating the improved dielectric material using a fluoropolymer,the fluoropolymer (which is preferably PTFE, typically in the form of aslurry), and the fluorinated carbon may be made into a compositematerial by suitable mixing followed by processing involving, forexample, heating, milling, calendaring, or direct thin film coating. Inone exemplary process, the respective consitutents, e.g., Teflon 30,30B, or 35, sold by E.I. dupont de Nemours Co. (DuPONT), and Acuuflor2065 or 1030, sold by Allied Signal Co. (ALLIED), are mixed in selectedproportions, coated on a heat resistant (e.g., copper) substrate andbaked at high pressures (100-2000 psi) and temperature (up to about 390°C.), followed by slow cooling to room temperature. The proportions areselected such that the resulting film preferably has a fluorinatedcarbon content in this application of 2 to 50% by weight.

Another approach for making the composite film is to mix aqueous Teflonwith fluorinated carbon and then vigorously agitate the mixture, such asby high speed stirring or ball milling, until the Teflon particles andfluorinated carbon are co-coagulated to form a mass, which is separatedfrom supernatant water and rinsed several times with deionized 7ater.This mass may be calendered between two steel rolls at high pressureseveral times until a uniform thin film is obtained. The resulting freestanding film may be laminated between two copper sheets at 200-1500 psiand high termperature (355°-380° C.) to form a dark gray composite witha low dielectric constant and a high tensile strength. This film, whencontaining 50% fluorinated carbon, has optimum physical, electrical andthermal properties and will undergo laser ablation at very low fluenceresulting in the formation of openings with smooth side walls having asteep angle.

In a further process, other fluoropolymers, such as(perfluoroalkoxy)fluorocarbon resin, e.g., DuPONT's Teflon PFA, may beused to make composites with fluorinated carbons. In such case, TeflonPFA pellets and fluorinated carbon powder may be mixed thoroughly in ablender and the mixture melt extruded to a free standing composite whichlike that of the preceding approach may be laminated between two coppersheets.

Still another approach to making a Teflon-fluorinated carbon compositein accordance with the invention is to use a soluble fluoropolymer suchas co-polytetrafluorethylene perfluorodioxole, e.g., DuPONT's Teflon AF,in a fluorinated hydrocarbon solvent to which the fluorinated carbon,e.g. Accufluor 2065 (ALLIED) is added. The mixture may be ball milleduntil a uniform dispersion results. The dispersed mixture may then befiltered and let down with about 8% Teflon AF solution to samples withvarious desired final ratios of Teflon AF to fluorinated carbon andcoated on different substrates (e.g., copper, polyimide etc.) and driedat 120° C. The resulting composites with different fluorinated carbonloading (e.g., from 2 to 60%) will all have a very low dielectricconstant and be laser ablated at a very low fluence.

In another embodiment, a structure comprises fluorinated carbonparticles dispersed in an epoxy binder. The weight ratio of fluorinatedcarbon to epoxy is sufficient to lower the dielectric constant of thecomposite without adversely affecting the mechanical properties of thecomposite. Typically, that weight ratio is 10 to 30 wt. %.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a structure one aspect of whichcomprises a composite of a fluorinated particulate carbon materialdispersed in a material having a dielectric constant.

The fluorinated carbon material comprises by way of example, ACCUFLUOR,(TM) 2065, 3000, 1030 Allied Signal Co. which are produced by directfluorination of carbon powder, graphite powder or coke respectively. Theproperties of such fluorinated particles are described by Mathew H. Lulyin J. Mater. Res.3, 890-898 (1988) and the references therein all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

Fluorinated carbons (FC) are the product of direct fluorination ofcarbon powder graphite, or coke, and can have a wide range of fluorineto carbon ratios, e.g., a fluorine content of 10% to 70%, and hence awide range of electrical resistivity, such as 1 to 10¹² ohm/cm. The FCsof this invention have preferably a fluorine content between 30 and 70%,an electrical resitivity between 10¹⁰ to 10¹² ohm/cm, and temperatureresistance of 500°-650° C. The FC is preferably fluorinated carbonpowder, such as ALLIED's Accufluor 1030,2056, or 3000. However, both thePTFE and FC's may each involve mixtures or combinations of theirspecified constituents.

One suitable polymeric material is polyimide, a polymeric material whichcomprises a polyamic acid polyimide precursor or a substantiallyimidized polyimide i.e. a polyamic acid that has been substantiallyimidized to a polyimide or a solvent soluble polyimide such as polyimideXU 218, TM or soluble polyetherimides.

In addition to the PMDA-ODA polyimides that may be employed according tothe present invention, those based on bis-(phenylene dicarboxylic acid)anhydride and p-phenylenediamine (hereafter BDA-PDA) can be employed aswell as those based on benzophone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and1,3-bis-(aminophenoxy) benzene (hereafter BTDA-APB).

The various art known-polyimides which can be used according to theinvention, are further described in Kirk-Othmer, Encyclopedia ofChemical Technology, Third Edition (Vol. 18, pp.704-719), Dunphy et al.,U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,573; Lindsey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,361,589; Goff, U.S.Pat. No. 4,416,973; Fyrd et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,522; Araps et al.,U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,619 columns 3-6 including polyisoimides and THERMID,TM; Roark et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,530 describing fluorinatedpolyimides, which along with THERMID polyimides are useful in adhesiveapplications; and Higuchi et al., Chem. Mater., 1991, 3, 188-94 and allof the references cited in each of the aforementioned references, all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

As noted, the polyimide composite is made by dispersing from about 20%to 50% by weight of a fluorinated carbon having a fluorine/carbon atomicratio up to about 1.3 (about 75 atomic weight %) in a solution of thepolyimide precursor or the soluble polyimide e.g. a polyetherimide, apolyisoimide or a polyamic ester in a suitable solvent. Fluorinatedcarbons CF_(x) where X=0.07, 0.25 and 1.2 (10, 28 and 64 atomic wt.percent fluorine) are especially suitable, especially those fluorinatedcarbons having from about 28 to about 64 atomic percent fluorine.

Various coupling agents that may be employed to enhance the dispersionof the fluorinated carbon in the polyimide solution comprise those basedon organo silicon or organo titanate compounds known in the art.

The various silicon and titanate compounds that may be employed in thisregard are as follows:

trimethylchlorosilane

dimethyldichlorosilane

hexamethyldisilazane

chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane

N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)urea

N-trimethylsilyldiethylamine

N-trimethylsilylimidazole

N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide

N-methyl-N-trimethysilyltrifluoroacetamide

t-butyldimethylsilylimidazole

N-trimethylsilylacetamide

trimethylsilyl iodide

methylchlorosilanes

octadecyltrichlorosilane

octyl-,phenyl-,cyclohexyl-,or ethylsilanes

(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)trimethoxysilane

[3-(2-aminoethyl)aminopropyl]trimethoxysilane

cyanoethyltrimethoxysilane

aminopropyltriethoxysilane

phenyltrimethoxysilane

(3-chloropropyl)trimethoxysilane

(3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane

(3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane

vinyltris(β-methoxyethoxy)silane

(-methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane

[-(β-aminoethylamino)-propyl]trimethoxy silane

vinylbenzyl cationic silane

(4-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane

[-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane

[β-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl]trimethoxysilane

(β-mercaptoethyl)trimethoxysilane

(-chloroproDyl)trimethoxysilane

octadecyl-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylammonium chloride

methylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane

3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyldimethyloctadecylammonium

chloride

N-(3-silylpropyl)-p-nitrobenzamide

Examples of titanate coupling agents of the present invention include:

isopropyltridodecylbenzene sulfonyl titanate

isopropyltris(dioctylpyrophosphate) titanate

bis(dioctylpyrophosphate) oxyacetate titanate

bis(dioctylpyrophosphate) ethylene titanate

isopropyltri(dioctylphosphate) titanate

isopropyltri(N-aminoethyl) titanate

and mixtures thereof.

As noted previously the TCE of polyimides derived from PMDA-ODA is about450×10-7/c and when a thick polyimide is employed in thin film packagingby bonding the polyimide to silicon, glass ceramic or even an aluminasubstrate, such substrate will warp to an unacceptable level or thepolyimide peels or cracks. The fluorinated carbon material is employedin an amount effective to reduce the TCE by any where from about 20% toabout 90% and especially from about 60% to about 80% where the polyimidefilm is from about 1 μm to about 100 μm and especially from about 5 μmto about 20 μm.

Similarly, the amount of fluorinated carbon employed in the compositesof the present invention is such that the dielectric constant can bereduced from any where from about 5% to about 40% and especially fromabout 10% to about 25%.

When a film is formed from either a polyimide precursor such as polyamicacid (or esters thereof) or from a preimidized soluble polyimide, (orpolyisoimide) heated to 150°-250° C. to remove the solvent, andirradiated with light from a UV excimer laser, with a wavelength of 248or 308 nm, the exposed surface area becomes electrically conductive andcan be electroplated by techniques well known in the art.

In those applications where the polyimide composite is employed in acircuit board, through holes in the board can be rendered conductive byexposing them to radiant energy as described herein. These through holescan then be electroplated by techniques known in the art.

Additionally, the composites of the present invention may be used ascoatings on substrates, especially microelectronic substrates as adielectric layer, and after application the surface of the composite canbe rendered conductive as described herein in order to form surfaceconductive regions on the substrate. These conductive regions may beproduced as described herein by irradiating the substrate through a maskin contact with the substrate or projecting the light transmittedthrough a mask onto the substrate by techniques that are known in theart. Alternatively, the coating may be screened on the substrate in apattern, and the coating surface may be rendered conductive by uniformirradiation with an UV excimer laser.

When a radiant energy source is used such as a UV excimer laser, afluency from anywhere about 10 mJ/cm² to about 100 mJ/cm² and especiallyfrom about 20 mJ/cm² to about 50 mJ/cm² at a repetition rate from about2 Hz to about 300 Hz and especially from about 20 Hz to about 100 Hz.

The wave length of the UV light can be anywhere from about 193 nm toabout 350 nm and especially from about 248 nm to about 308 nm. The wavelength, fluency and repetition rate are variables that will depend onthe polyimide, and amount and nature of the fluorinated carbon all ofwhich are variables that can be readily adjusted within the foregoingranges by a person with ordinary skill in the art.

It has also been discovered according to the present invention that whenpolyimide precursors such as polyamic acid are used to form thecomposite materials of this invention, if the temperature is raisedslowly to the normal curing temperature for polyimides (400° C.) thecomposite material will exhibit a higher dielectric constant.

In order to obtain the high dielectric constant composites, with thedried polyimide composite, it is heated slowly to temperatures from roomtemperature (about 20° C.) to about 350° to about 450° C. and especiallyfrom about 380° to about 400° C. for a period of time from about 10 toabout 12.0 minutes and especially from about 40 to about 80 minutes.Slow heating comprises heating at a rate of from about 5° to about 45°C. per minute, and especially from about 10° to about 35° C. per minute.

When preimidized soluble polyimides or polyisoimides are used to formthe composite materials of this invention, after substrate coating andsolvent evaporation the dielectric constant of the composite is low anddoes not change appreciably upon raising the temperature to 400° C.Also, if the composite material is formed from polyimide precursor suchas polyamic acid and heated at low temperature (about 150° to about 200°C.) to remove the solvent, and subsequently heated rapidly (within about2 to about 30 seconds) to a high temperature of 400° C. the resultingpolyimide composite material exhibit low dielectric constant. Theseheating rates therefore will be from about 65° to about 220° C. persecond and especially from about 75° to about 125° C. per second.

Thus, by the expedient of adjusting the curing time and temperatures thecomposites of the present invention can be converted into highdielectric constant materials.

The exposure temperature and time depends on film thickness which againwill be anywhere from about 1 μm to about 100 μm and especially fromabout 5 μm to about 20 μm.

The following examples are illustrative.

EXAMPLE I

Accufluor 2CFx 2065 (TM, Allied Signal Co.) (3.5 grams) was added to70.0 grams of a 10% solution of soluble polyimide XU 218 in NMPcontaining 0.2 grams organotitanate coupling agent KRTTS (KenrichChemical Co.) and the mixture was milled for one hour in a glass jarusing glass media on a Red Devil shaker. The milled mixture was thenseparated from the media and let down with various amounts of thepolyimide solutions to make mixtures of from 10 phr (parts by weightfluorinated carbon per hundred parts by weight polyimide) to 50 phr andeach coated on an aluminum substrate to a thickness of 25-50 microns.The samples were dried and heated at 250° C. for 2 hours. The dielectricconstant of the samples decreases as the percentage of the fluorocarbonin the composite increases as noted in Table I.

                  TABLE I                                                         ______________________________________                                        phr Accufluor  dielectric constant                                            ______________________________________                                         0             4                                                              20             3.7                                                            30             3.55                                                           40             3.21                                                           ______________________________________                                    

Upon further heating of these samples to 400° C., no appreciable changeof dielectric constant was observed.

EXAMPLE II

Accufluor 2065 TM (5.7 grams) was added to a solution of 16.0 gramspolyimide 2065 precursor polyamic acid derived from PMDA-ODA in 264grams NMP solvent. Then 2.5 grams of 4% LICA 12 organotitante[neopentyl(diallyl)oxy,tri(diocty') phosphatotitanate] coupling agentwas added and the mixture was stirred for half an hour and then milledusing glass media for one hour. The milled mixture was let down withadditional polyamic acid solution to get 20 phr and 40 phr samples. Thesamples were then coated on an aluminum substrate, dried at 90° C. for 2hours and then cured in a vacuum oven at 250° C. for two hours.

The dielectric constant was measured and the following results obtained:

                  TABLE II                                                        ______________________________________                                        phr Accufluor  Dielectric Constant                                            ______________________________________                                         0             3.52                                                           20             3.13                                                           40             2.61                                                           ______________________________________                                    

After measurement, the temperature of these samples was raised to 400°C. at the rate of 3° C./minute, and kept at 400° C. for one hour andcooled to room temperature. The data in Table III were obtained.

                  TABLE III                                                       ______________________________________                                        Accufluor phr  Dielectric Constant                                            ______________________________________                                         0             3.5                                                            20             18.2                                                           40             65.6                                                           ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE III

A polyimide composite with fluorinated carbon (Accufluor 2065, TM AlliedSignal Co.) was made by dispersion of the fluorinated carbon from 10-15%by wt. in polyamic acid derived from PMDA-ODA solution in NMP andcoating the latter on a silicon substrate and curing. The composite wasthen irradiated with an UV excimer laser. In this example, thewavelength of the UV light was 308 nm, the fluency was 30 mJ/cm² and therepetition rate was 20 Hz. The exposed areas, with 50 micron width,exhibited a resistance of 2400 /hms when probes were placed 5 mm aparton the surface of the exposed lines.

The wavelength, fluency and repetition rate are all variables thatdepend on the polyimide, percent and nature of fluorinated carbon. Inthe next step the exposed sample was subjected to a standard coppersulphate electroplating bath at 5-50 mA which resulted in plating of theexposed area with copper. The polyimide-based substrate was therebydirectly and selectively patterned with metals with high resolution andgood adhesion of the metal to polymer. This approach takes less timethan the existing methods in the fabrication of thin film packages.

EXAMPLE IV

A dispersion of 20 phr Accufluor 2065 in a solution of polyamic acidderived from PMFD-ODA was prepared according to the procedure of ExampleII. After coating on a substrate and driving off the solvent at 200° C.for 2 hours, the substrate was heated on a 400° C. hot plate for 2seconds. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum showed that theresulting film was almost fully (greater than 98%) imidized. Thedielectric constant of the film was measured to be 3.2, very littledifferent from the dielectric constant of a similar film cured at 250°C. as in Example II, Table II, and quite different from the film heatedslowly to 400° C. as shown in Table III of Example II.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a structure comprises asubstrate which comprises a composite dielectric material of afluoropolymer, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), in which isdispersed fluorinated carbon (FC). Such a composite may be preparedusing a combination of mixing and heating to achieve an end product ofconstituent proportions in the range of as low as 2% and up to 80% offluorinated carbon to fluoropolymer by weight, and having a lowdielectric constant and other improved properties as will be described.Preferably, the PTFE is an aqueous dispersion of Teflon, such as ofDuPONT Teflon 30, Teflon 30B, or Teflon 35, or is melt processable, like(perfluoroalkoxy) fluorocarbon resin or co-polytetrafluoroethyleneperfluorodioxole, e.g., DuPONT Teflon PFA or AF 1600, respectively.

Various processes may be carried out to form suitablefluoropolymer-fluorinated carbon composites in accordance with thisembodiment of the invention. To begin with, a process generallyillustrating the steps to be followed in carrying out a typicalimplementation of the invention will be set forth.

EXAMPLE V

Approximately 7.0 gms of a water soluble wetting agent, e.g., ROHM &HAAS's Triton X-100 or BASF Wyandotte's Pluronic P-104, are added to200.0 grams of deionized water and stirred until all the agent isdissolved. To this solution is added 250.0 grams of FC, e.g., Accufluor1030 (ALLIED) and the mixture is stirred well until a uniform dispersionis obtained. To this mixture is added an aqueous slurry of Teflon, e.g.,DuPONT's Teflon 30, Teflon 30-B, or Teflon 35, the amount of which isbased on the desired final ratio of Teflon to fluorinated carbon,ranging in this instance from about 20 to 80%. The mixture is stirredand finally a small amount (0.1 to 2%) of thickening agent, e.g., B. F.GOODRICH's Carbopol 954 or BASF's Pluronic F127, is added and stirringcontinued until a viscous dispersion with viscosity of about 200 to 500cps is obtained. This final mixture is coated by conventional methods ona copper substrate, dried at room temperature to remove the water andbaked at 285°-310° C. to remove all the surfactant and thickener. Thecoated substrate is then laminated under high pressure, e.g., in a rangefrom 100 to 2000 psi, and at high temperature, e.g., from 360° to 390°C., and cooled down slowly to room temperature. The dielectric constantsof a number of composites made according to the foregoing procedure weremeasured and found to vary between 2.4 to 2.8, depending upon thepercent of fluorinated carbon in the composite, i.e., from 20 to 80%,respectively, for the samples measured.

Another approach for making these composites is to mix aqueous Teflonwith fluorinated carbon and then vigorously agitate the mixture, such asby high speed stirring or ball milling, until the Teflon particles andfluorinated carbon are co-coagulated to from a mass. An actualexperiment in this regard was carried out as follows.

EXAMPLE VI

To 200 grams of Teflon 35 (DuPONT) was added 60 grams of Accufluor 1030(ALLIED) and the mixture was stirred at 2000 rpm. After a few minutes,the Teflon and fluorinated carbon co-coagulated to form a mass which wasseparated from supernatant water and rinsed several times with deionizedwater. The off-white coagulum was calendered between two steel rolls athigh pressure (500-1500 psi) several times until a uniform thin film0.02 to 0.05 mm thick was obtained. This free standing film waslaminated between two copper sheets at 200-1500 psi and high temperature(355°-380° C.) to form a dark gray composite which had a dielectricconstant of 2.3 and tensile strength of about 2000 psi. Just as samplesprepared according to Example V, this film, which contained about 50%fluorinated carbon, underwent laser ablation at very low fluence (lessthan 1 J/cm²) resulting in the formation of openings with smooth sidewalls having a steep angle.

Alternatively, other fluoropolymers, such as DuPONT's Teflon PFA, may beused to make composites with fluorinated carbons in accordance with theinvention. In such cases, Teflon PFA pellets and fluorinated carbonpowder may be mixed thoroughly in a blender or directly in a hot meltextruder and the molten mixture melt extruded to a free standingcomposite which like that of the preceding example could be maintainedbetween two copper sheets. Teflon AF may also be a suitablefluoropolymer in this process.

Still another approach to making a Teflon-fluorinated carbon is to usesoluble Teflons, such as Teflon AF, according to the following example.

EXAMPLE VII

To 200 grams of 8% Teflon AF-1600 (DuPONT) in a fluorinated hydrocarbonsolvent (3M's Fluorinert FC-70 in this case) was added 16.0 grams ofAccufluor 2065 (ALLIED) and the mixture was ball milled until a uniformdispersion resulted. The dispersed mixture was filtered and let downwith about 8% Teflon AF solution to samples with various desired finalratios of Teflon AF to fluorinated carbon and coated on differentsubstrates (e.g., copper, polyimide etc.) and dried at about 120° C. Theresulting composites with different fluorinated carbon loading (from 2%to 40%) all had a very low dielectric constant (2.15-2.2) and were laserablated at a very low fluence of about 0.3 J/cm². It was noted, however,that while the ablation improved with reduced fluorinated carboncontent, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the film increased.

By way of comparison with the prior art, an experiment was carried outusing a mixture of silica and fluorinated carbon fillers to form thecomposite with Teflon. Although these composites were found to have verysimilar thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, to conventionalTeflon-glass, still the presence of small amount, as little as 5%, offluorinated carbon increased the UV laser etch rate of the composite atlower fluences over that of corresponding Teflon-silica composites. Theexperiment was carried out of follows.

EXAMPLE VIII

To 120.0 grams of deionized water, containing 5.0 grams of PluronicP-104 wetting agent, were added 120.0 grams of amorphous silica (IMSOLCo.'s A-108-H) and 30.0 grams of Accufluor 1030 and the mixture wasstirred until a uniform dispersion resulted. This mixture was then mixedand stirred with 250 grams of aqueous Teflon 30 slurry and finally 400mg. of Carbopol 954 (GOODRICH) was added and stirring continued until aviscous mixture was obtained. The resulting mixture was coated on acopper substrate to a dry thickness of 0.01-0.5 mm and processed furtherin accordance with the latter steps set forth in Example V. The finalcomposite of this example consisted of 50% Teflon PTFE, 40% silica, and10% fluorinated carbon and had a dielectric constant of 2.9.

While this constant is similar to that of the prior art 50% glass inTeflon PTFE, the composite underwent laser ablation at about half thefluence as, and at a higher etch rate than, Teflon-glass. Alternatively,ceramic particles, such as of Al₂ O₃, may be used as well as amorphoussilica in this process. However, silica is preferred for its lowerdielectric constant, and in a proportion of from about 5% to 45% byweight.

TABLE I presents a comparison of the physical properties of threedifferent Teflon composites, i.e., a Teflon-fluorinated carbon compositewith 47% FC by weight prepared by thin film coating, aTeflon-fluorinated carbon composite with 47% FC by weight prepared byco-coagulation and calendering, and a Teflon-glass composite with 50% byweight of glass. It will be seen from the Table that the compositesformed in the manner of the present invention have a lower dielectricconstant than the Teflon-glass. Also, FIG. 1 shows that such compositesare laser ablated at lower fluence with higher etch rate thanTeflon-glass, which typically requires a very high fluence of the orderof 10-15 J/cm². Accordingly, based on tests carried out on thecomposites described above, especially the Teflon PTFE-fluorinatedcarbon composites, it was discovered that the thermal resistance andmechanical properties of these Teflon-fluorinated carbon composites aresimilar to those of the prior art Teflon-glass composite, but there arethree distinct improvements over the latter which can be summarized asfollows:

1. Dielectric constant

As mentioned in connection with Example VII, a composite can befabricated having a dielectric constant as low as 2.15 as compared to2.9 for Teflon-glass composites. Further, using the simplified thin filmcoating and baking procedure described, the dielectric constants(2.6-2.7) of the final composites (TABLE I) are also lower than those ofthe corresponding Teflon-glass composites of the prior art.

2. Porosity

The porosity of the carrier substrate for high density printed wiringboards or advanced packaging technology is very important because in thefabrication of these boards or packages there is exposure to electrolessor electrolytic metal plating baths containing metal cations and ionicspecies which can permeate a porous substrate and adversely change theelectrical properties of the dielectric substrate. Sodium ion diffusiontests were performed on Teflon-glass and on Teflon-fluorinated carboncomposites in accordance with the present invention and showed that thelatter are far less porous than the Teflon-glass composite.

3. Laser Ablation

Laser ablation of polymer composites has become a method of choice forformation of through vias in the fabrication of high density packages.In the case of Teflon-glass composites of the prior art, since none ofthe constituents of the composite have appreciable UV absorption, UVlaser ablation of this material must be carried out at very highfluence, typically 10-15 J/cm². This results in vias having very roughwalls with relatively low angles, which is undesirable. The presentTeflon-fluorinated carbon composites, on the other hand, undergo laserablation at very low fluence, typically below 1 J/cm², and high etchrate, which results in smooth via walls with large angles.

As noted, the advantages of the present invention can also be realizedwhen the polymeric material is an epoxy. The fluorinated carbon isdispersed in the epoxy binder, a catalyst (curing agent) is added in asmall but effective amount typically on the order of up to 0.5% byweight of the mixture, and the resulting mixture is coated onto e.g. awoven glass substrate. The dry thickness of the coating is about0.05-0.10 mm. The coated glass is dried in air, and then heated to atemperature (typically 130° C.-150° C.) effective to crosslink the epoxybinder. A circuit board can be prepared by preparing several layers inthis way, laminating them together at high temperature and pressure, andthen metallizing the exterior surface and forming electricallyconductive patterns on the surface.

The epoxy can be based on any cross-linkable starting materialcontaining the characteristic epoxy group also known as 1, 2-epoxide oroxirane. One typical epoxy is the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A,having the formula:

    CH.sub.2 OCHCH.sub.2 --[O--Ph--C(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --Ph--OCH.sub.2 CH(OH)CH.sub.2 ].sub.1-100 --Ph--C(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --Ph--OCHOCH.sub.2

wherein each Ph is para-substituted phenyl. Alternatively, the bisphenolcan be replaced by polyols such as aliphatic or cycloaliphatic glycols.The curing agents are typically anhydrides, amines, or polyamides. Otheruseful epoxies include bisphenol F; the tetraglycidyl ethers of tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane; triglycidyl p-aminophenol resins; N, N, N',N'-tetraglycidyl-4, 4'-diaminodiphenylmethane; and those formed byglycidylation of difunctional or polyfunctional polyols such as1,4-butanediol, 2,2'-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, polypropylene glycols,glycerol, trimethylolpropane, or pentaerythritol.

More specifically, expoxies useful in this invention include,

It has also been found that exposing a substrate of the compositematerial made in the manner of the present invention to UV excimer laserradiation at a fluence of 50 to 250 mJ/cm² results in partialdefluorination of the fluorinated carbon which renders the exposed areaof the substrate somewhat electrically conductive, i.e., 10³ -10⁴ohm/cm. This property can be used for repair of broken conductor linesin a printed circuit board by photoimaging the open area with an UVlaser and then electroplating the exposed area with copper.

It will therefore be seen that in accordance with the present inventiona dielectric material is presented offering an optimal combination oflow dielectric constant, low thermal coefficient of expansion and lowporosity, that can undergo UV laser ablation under very low fluences (ofthe order of 1 J/cm²) to produce openings or vias with very smooth andnear vertical side walls after the laser drilling thereof. Further, thisdielectric material after exposure to very low UV laser dosage becomespartially conductive and thus can be used in the repair of opens inelectrical circuit lines of a printed wiring board or high densitypackaging.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Physical Properties of Teflon Composites                                      Composite   % Strain Stress    Modulus                                                                              Er                                      ______________________________________                                        47% FC. (T) 9.8      2024      217000 2.6                                     47% FC. (C) 14.4     2130      243000 2.3                                     Teflon-glass                                                                              4.8      2280      389800 2.9                                     ______________________________________                                         Notes:                                                                        (a) Stress and modulus are given in pound/in.sup.2.                           (b) (T) is Teflonfluorinated carbon (FC) composite with 47% by weight FC      prepared by thin film coating.                                                (c) (C) is TeflonFC composite with 47% FC prepared by cocoagulation and       calendering.                                                                  (d) Teflonglass composite had 50% by weight glass.                            (e) E.sub.r stands for dielectric constant.                              

Although the invention has been described by reference to someembodiments, it is not intended that the novel process or the productsobtained be limited thereby but that modifications are intended to beincluded as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the foregoingdisclosure and the following claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:
 1. A structure comprising a substrateformed from a dielectric material comprising:a composite of afluorinated particulate carbon material dispersed in a polymericmaterial having a dielectric constant wherein said fluorinatedparticulate carbon material contains 28 to 75 atomic weight % offluorine; said fluorinated particulate carbon material being present inan amount sufficient for said composite to have a dielectric constantless than said dielectric constant of said polymeric material; saidsubstrate including electrical conductor patterns.
 2. The structure ofclaim 1, wherein said polymeric material is selected from the groupconsisting of thermoset, thermoplastic, and elastomeric polymericmaterial and combinations thereof.
 3. The structure of claim 2, whereinsaid polymeric material is selected from the group consisting ofpolyimide, fluoropolymer, epoxy, polycyanurate, polysiloxane,polybenzocyclobutene, polyquinoxaline and bismaleimides.
 4. Thestructure of claim 1, further including an electronic device which iselectronically interconnected with said electrical conductor patterns.5. The structure of claim 3 where said polyimide material is asubstantially imidized polyimide.
 6. The structure of claim 3 where saidpolyimide material is formed from material selected from the groupconsisting of polyamic acids and esters of polyamic acids.
 7. Thestructure of claim 6 wherein said polyimide material is selected fromthe group consisting of PMDA-ODA, BPDA-PDA and BPDA-APB.
 8. Thestructure of claim 3 where said polyimide material comprises a solventsoluble polyimide.
 9. The structure of claim 3 where said polyimidematerial comprises a solvent soluble polyetherimide.
 10. The structureof claim 3 where said polyimide material comprises a polyisoimide.
 11. Astructure comprising a substrate formed from a dielectric materialcomprising:a composite of a fluorinated particulate carbon materialdispersed in a polymeric material having a dielectric constant; saidfluorinated carbon material being present in an amount sufficient forsaid composite to have a dielectric constant less than said dielectricconstant of said polymeric material; said substrate including electricalconductor patterns; wherein said polymeric material is a thermoset,thermoplastic, or elastomeric polymeric material which is selected fromthe group consisting of polyimide, fluoropolymer, epoxy, polycyanurate,polysiloxane, polybenzocyclobutene, polyquinoxaline and bismaleimides;said structure further comprising a coupling agent in an amountsufficient to enhance the dispersability of said fluorinated carbonmaterial in said polymeric material.
 12. The structure of claim 11wherein said coupling agent is selected from the group consisting oforgano silicon compounds and organo titanium compounds.
 13. A structurecomprising a substrate formed from a dielectric material comprising:acomposite of a fluorinated particulate carbon material dispersed in apolymeric material having a dielectric constant; said fluorinated carbonmaterial being present in an amount sufficient for said composite tohave a dielectric constant less than said dielectric constant of saidpolymeric material; said substrate including electrical conductorpatterns; wherein said polymeric material is a thermoset, thermoplastic,or elastomeric polymeric material which is selected from the groupconsisting of polyimide, fluoropolymer, epoxy, polycyanurate,polysiloxane, polybenzocyclobutene, polyquinoxaline and bismaleimides;wherein said composite substantially comprises fluorinated carbonparticles dispersed in a fluoropolymer with the fluorinated carbon tofluoropolymer being in the range of 2% to 60% by weight.
 14. Thestructure of claim 13 wherein said fluoropolymer is a material selectedfrom the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, (perfluoroalkoxy)fluorocarbon resin, co-polytetrafluoroethylene perfluorodioxole, andcombinations thereof.
 15. The structure of claim 13 wherein saidfluorinated carbon particles are of a material selected from the groupconsisting of fluorinated carbon particles, fluorinated graphiteparticles, fluorinated coke particles, and combinations thereof.
 16. Thestructure of claim 13 further comprising silica in the range of 5% to45% by weight.
 17. The structure of claim 13 wherein said fluorinatedcarbon particles have a fluorine content in the range from 30% to 70%.